No matter the lane—FX, stocks, or commodities—the job is to marry the story with the tape. In FX, watch the macro prints and central-bank moves, especially rates. In equities, it’s earnings, cash flow, competitive edge, and the broader rate/growth backdrop. For commodities, price is shaped by supply and demand, inventories, weather, and geopolitics. Then use the charts—trend and momentum, support/resistance, volume, and familiar patterns—to pick entries and exits and keep risk on a leash.